Anderson Localization and Nonlinearity in One-Dimensional Disordered Photonic Lattices

Yoav Lahini, Assaf Avidan, Francesca Pozzi, Marc Sorel, Roberto Morandotti, Demetrios N. Christodoulides, and Yaron Silberberg
Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 013906 – Published 10 January 2008

Abstract

We experimentally investigate the evolution of linear and nonlinear waves in a realization of the Anderson model using disordered one-dimensional waveguide lattices. Two types of localized eigenmodes, flat-phased and staggered, are directly measured. Nonlinear perturbations enhance localization in one type and induce delocalization in the other. In a complementary approach, we study the evolution on short time scales of δ-like wave packets in the presence of disorder. A transition from ballistic wave packet expansion to exponential (Anderson) localization is observed. We also find an intermediate regime in which the ballistic and localized components coexist while diffusive dynamics is absent. Evidence is found for a faster transition into localization under nonlinear conditions.

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  • Received 19 April 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.013906

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Yoav Lahini1,*, Assaf Avidan1, Francesca Pozzi2, Marc Sorel2, Roberto Morandotti3, Demetrios N. Christodoulides4, and Yaron Silberberg1

  • 1Department of Physics of Complex Systems, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
  • 2Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
  • 3Institut national de la recherché scientifique, Université du Québec, Varennes, Québec, Canada
  • 4CREOL/College of Optics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA

  • *yoav.lahini@weizmann.ac.il

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Vol. 100, Iss. 1 — 11 January 2008

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